A Walk Through The Village Of Upside Down Boat Houses

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In northern France, about ten kilometers from Boulogne-sur-Mer and fifty kilometers from France's largest passenger port Calais is a quiet fishing village Ekian, whose population of less than 3,000 and some very peculiar-looking houses.

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On the territory of the village there is an area, entirely made up of houses with very unusual roofs.

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At a moment’s glance, they could almost appear to be an unfortunate pod of beached orcas, but look again carefully at those unusual roofs. Yes, those are boats … upside down!

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It turns out that the tradition of use as a roof over their heads have served their wooden boat hull exists among local fishermen for over a century. These days such a kind home draw in Ekian discerning travelers who adore the original beach holiday.

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In the early 1900’s, boats in this small fishing village were constantly getting stranded on the beach. However, instead of going to waste, the poorest fishermen transformed these boats into the roofs for low cost, makeshift houses. It was known as the Quartier des Quilles en l’Air; the neighbourhood of keels in the air.

Picked up on the seashore of the boat is first impregnated with resin to become impervious to moisture. Then prosmolonnye boat builders inverted upside down and used as a roof, the base houses constructed of wood or stone.

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The fishermen didn’t have much, so the interiors of these houses were very basic. The inside typically consisted of just a single room for the entire family, where they ate and slept

Stoves were used for heating and cooking. Natural sunlight is lacked inside the boat home, with very only a tiny window and a narrow doorway.

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Picked up on the seashore of the boat is first impregnated with resin to become impervious to moisture. Then prosmolonnye boat builders inverted upside down and used as a roof, the base houses constructed of wood or stone.

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During the 2nd World War, all but one of the ‘Quilles en l’air’ were destroyed. The last original boat house above belonged to a painter, who made it his workshop.

While the “quartier” of upturned boat homes might have disappeared from the village’s shores temporarily, the tradition was never forgotten.

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They became an important symbol of the area’s history and in the 1990s, the local authorities decided to revive the unusual style by constructing a hamlet of new and improved (and slightly less basic) versions to attract holidaymakers in search of off-beat accommodation.

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Today, rental of a small house will cost about 323 euros for a week stay, while the more spacious "fishing" home will cost around 756 euros. You may also wish to relax on the French coast and spend some delightful days in a unique boathouse village Ekian ...